Attor's Reflection
by Bananas102
Summary: On their way to a job, Gray and Lyon are taken...by slave traders. Bound by anti-magic bracelets and the dwindling number of Attor disks he possesses, Gray must use everything he learned in the camps to keep him and Lyon alive long enough for a rescue. But if they don't show up soon, they'll have try to escape... Attor!Universe
1. Chapter 1

"It's been seven months, Gray."

"I told you, no."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Very. Now piss off, will you?" Gray snapped.

Lyon shook his head, sighing at Gray's hair, which was swept back in it's usual low ponytail, ending just past his shoulder blades.

He was still adamant that Gray cut it, while Juvia insisted it was fine. For some reason, Gray was still as stubborn as ever, and refused to cut it short again.

The two were on their way to a job up in the mountains, where several people had reported villagers vanishing during the night.

They traveled in silence for a while, content in each other's company.

Suddenly, there was a glint of silver in between the trees and Gray gave Lyon a hard shove.

When Lyon turned, he saw a small silver dart protruding from Gray's upper bicep.

Gray grunted in pain, eyes glazing over. "Not again," he groaned before crumpling to the ground as the drugs took over.

"Gray!"

* * *

"Lyon."

Lyon's brow creased slightly as he was pulled from unconsiousness.

"Lyon, wake up."

The ice mage opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Gray's blurred face hovering over his.

"Wha-? What happened?"

Gray raised an eyebrow. "We were taken by slave traders," he said in a low voice.

Lyon sat up, wincing slightly at the resounding throbbing in the side of his head. "You're kidding, right?"

Gray nearly swatted him upside the head. They were sitting in the back of a caravan, and the exit was nailed shut with pieces of wood.

"I don't kid about these things," he snapped. Lyon put his hands up in surrender, only to see they were shackled together.

Underneath the shackles was a slim silver bracelet.

"Hey, what are these?" Lyon asked, baring his wrist to show the piece of jewelry to the dark-haired wizard.

Gray nearly snatched his wrist with the speed of a snake, tugging him forward insistently. His friend inspected his wrist, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"No way," Gray whispered in horror. He suddenly dropped Lyon's forearm like it was diseased. He quickly checked his own wrist.

Sure enough, a shiny skintight bracelet glinted in the light.

Gray clenched his jaw. "Dammit," he swore. His heart began to speed up, thumping hard in his chest. He was beginning to get scared.

Lyon blinked. "What is it?" he asked.

"It binds our magic. We can't use it , and the only way to get if off it to melt it." Gray replied, trying to keep his breaths even so he could keep calm.

Lyon nodded. "Okay. So, until we fin a way to melt these off, we have to go along with what they want. How does this work?"

Gray swallowed hard. "I-I don't really know. The labor camp I was a part of might be different then others. You just have to be flexible; do not show any resistance."

He stared hard at Lyon so he other wizard knew that point in particular was very important.

"No resistance. Got it."

Suddenly, the caravan stopped.

The sound of voices came from the front, and went around to the back, where they began to open the back.

"One last thing. You need to be prepared for anything," Gray added quickly.

Lyon didn't quite know what that meant until the back was opened and sunlight flooded inside and men quickly grabbed them and dragged them out, dumping them on the ground.

He looked around, and his heart leapt into his throat.

Slaves, everywhere.

In cells, on the tall wooden platform in the middle of the square, and being unloaded in caravans nearby.

They were thin and dirty, covered in sweat and dried blood.

Most, if not all, wore haunted expressions, as if they wanted nothing more than to die before undergoing another day.

Lyon's breath caught, and he beginning to panic.

_What is this? I don't know what to do. These people...did Gray go through this?_

He glanced to the side to gauge Gray's reaction.

Sure enough, Gray held an expression similar to the others.

He still looked horrified, but it was fairly obvious he'd seen something like this before.

Gray suddenly knocked into him.

At first, Lyon was alarmed, but he calmed down when Gray whispered into his ear.

"Stop looking so frightened, everyone will know you're new."

Lyon nodded and concentrated on keeping his game face on and devoid of any trace of fear.

They were led to a small building that was mostly empty, save a large fire in the center and a man standing next to it, arms crossed.

Gray had a theory as to why they were there, but he was too nervous to tell Lyon in case he panicked, and they could very well be beaten for speaking without permission.

When someone grabbed him by the upper arms and pushed him forward towards the fire and man, he knew he was right.

"Wait...this one's already been branded!"

Gray flushed, casting his eyes down so he wouldn't have to see Lyon's expression.

Lyon swore angrily that this had better be some horrible nightmare.

So far, it had all seemed like some bad dream, and he kept praying that he would wake up at any moment.

But as he stared at the strange symbol scarred into Gray's lower back, the growing panic in his chest told him this could very well be real.

Lyon could feel his body beginning to betray him as tremors ran through his arms and legs.

_Why am I so scared?_

Gray felt the heat before the pain. It covered the old brand, burning it so it was unrecognizable.

The ice wizard gritted his teeth, heaving in air harshly through his nose.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't even tell if his eyes were open or not; the pain overtook everything.

Gray could scream. He knew that, but he'd die first before giving any of their captors the satisfaction of hearing him.

The pain lessened, only to reappear seconds later a few inches higher.

Black flooded into his vision, and Gray could feel his body going lax.

_Dammit...why can't I ever get a break...?_


	2. Chapter 2

"How are they doing?" the man asked.

The other looked up from the magic screen. "They're doing well. This one," he said, nodding to Gray, "Has already conjured up a dream."

The first raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes. It took me by surprise as well. The other hadn't come up with one, so I simply placed him in the other's."

Gray and Lyon lay on metal tables, side by side, with wires attached to their heads and arms.

Small magic screens hovered around them. Showing vitals and brain wave patterns, DNA data, even hormone levels.

"If they keep at this pace, they'll be ready a lot sooner than the others."

* * *

Gray jerked awake.

He sat up, wincing as the movement pulled at his burned skin.

Lyon was slumped next to him, out cold.

They were in a large cell, but it was filled with slaves. Men, women, children; everyone.

He could hear someone retching.

Gray frowned and stood.

_Something seems...off._

After checking on Lyon briefly, he pushed his way through the crowd to the cell's bars, where they looked out into a courtyard.

Gray's eyes widened as a young girl was auctioned off.

Before he caught the eye of any of the guards standing watch outside, he slunk back to where he left his friend.

Lyon was just beginning to stir when he returned.

"Where are we now?" Lyon asked, words slow and slightly slurred as he pulled himself out of unconsciousness.

Gray crouched down next to him, sighing.

"It's a large cell where they keep the slaves before auctioning them off."

Lyon grunted as he stood and Gray followed suit. "Think they'll separate us?"

Gray pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes slipping closed.

"I don't know. It depends on who buys us. If we do get separated, it's very likely that we'll never see each other again."

Lyon grinned. "You say that as if we're not going back to our guilds."

Gray frowned.

Lyon licked his lips. "How many disks did you bring with you?"

Gray blinked once before rummaging through his pants pockets and revealing five golden disks.

Lyon nodded. "Alright; five days to get out of here."

The blue-haired mage pursed his lips. "We should wait to see if anyone shows up. Escaping as a slave is one of the hardest things to do, and if we try, it should be as a last resort."

The other wizard wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea. "We're not the kind of people to just sit back and accept something like this."

Gray exhaled through his nose.

"I know, but I'm telling you: this is one of the most dangerous things you can do, especially without magic."

Suddenly, there was a creak, and nearly every slave near the front of the cell shrank back.

Lyon and Gray exchanged glances, but moved back with the others.

Six men entered, big and burly with a hell of a lot of muscles, and every single one of them carried a whip either at their belt or in their hand.

They squinted at the prisoners, combing through them, and every once in a while one of them grabbed someone and took them aside.

When they reached Gray and Lyon, Gray motioned for Lyon to duck his head down.

It didn't make that much of a difference however, mostly due to their striking hair colors and how much healthier they looked to most of the other slaves.

The two were taken to the small group of chosen prisoners, which consisted of two pretty teenage girls, a small boy, and an older man.

Gray, Lyon and the others seemed to be enough, for they were ushered out to a long line of slaves, the beginning starting at the bottom of the stairs that led to the auctioning block.

* * *

Natsu crouched in the undergrowth of the forest, sniffing.

"You smell them?" Erza asked, eyes scanning the trees.

Natsu nodded.

* * *

Lyon was sold first.

Many were intrigued by his snow white hair, and thus the bidding went on for several minutes before it was decided that Lyon would go to a tall, slim man in a green coat.

Gray was treated similarly, with his ocean blue hair and pale skin.

He was auctioned off to someone else, a scowling man with black hair, who stood next to the one in green.

When it was over, Lyon and Gray stood side by side, waiting to be loaded into separate caravans.

"What do we do?" Lyon whispered to him.

Gray licked his lips. "I don't know."

The raven-haired man grabbed Gray's arm, leading him towards the back of the wagon.

Lyon watched, and his panic was already streaming up to a dangerous level.

_I have no idea what to do!_

"Hey, you."

Lyon blinked, and turned his head to see it was the man who bought him; the one in green.

"Do you know him?" the man asked, nodding at Gray.

Lyon blinked and nodded dumbly.

"Who is he to you?" his owner pressed.

Lyon swallowed. "He's...uh..he's my.. little brother."

The man nodded. "I see," he hummed.

He looked between the two before sighing ad mumbling something under his breath.

"John."

The raven-haired man paused, and so did Gray, one foot on the back of the wagon.

"How much would it take for me to buy him from you?"

John scowl deepened.

"You know full well I need him, George."

George smiled. "Yes, I'm aware. How much would it take?"

John let go of Gray and crossed his arms.

"Thirty thousand."

George blinked. "Fine," he retorted.

John looked surprised, but he begrudgingly tugged Gray down and shoved him towards Lyon.

"I'm only doing this because of what you did for me," he growled, and George put his hands up, smiling.

"Alright, I'll consider us even."

Gray looked confused, eyes flickering to and from everyone's faces, and he leaned in towards Lyon.

"What just happened? What did you do?"

Lyon laughed breathily. "Now when we escape, we're escaping together."


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you think Gray and Lyon are in there?" Natsu asked Erza.

They were hiding in the bushes, peering through the leaves at a tall stone tower.

Natsu had tracked their scent up the mountain; even lost it a few times because of the snow, but they made it nonetheless.

The tower was well-hidden, tucked away deep within the mountains.

It was located near the village that had sent out the job request, and drawn Gray and Lyon to them.

While the tower itself wasn't guarded, there was a concerning aura that surrounding it, making it seem dark and imposing.

Erza nodded and slowly drew her sword.

"Even so, we should be careful," she warned, "There's something strange about this place."

* * *

"Yen, what's their status?" the man at the screens blinked.

Sighing, he replied, "Same as the last time you asked. I don't take back what I said: They're still doing extremely well; but this takes time, Tom."

Tom rolled his eyes, but he had to admit, Yen was right.

"The white-haired one, is he still inside the other's dream?" he asked, glancing at the two ice mages that still lay unconscious, side by side.

Yen nodded. "They seem to be doing even better when they're in the same dream, so I've decided to keep them that way."

Suddenly, one of the screens near the blue-haired once let out a shrill wail.

Before either of them had time to react, Gray jerked awake with a heaving gasp.

"What the hell?!" Tom yelled.

Gray quickly began to panic when he didn't recognize where he was or who he was with, looking around wildly and gulping in air.

Tom ran forward and held him down as Gray began to struggle, still feeling weak and disorientated.

_Where am I? What's going on? Who are these people?_

Yen suddenly appeared next to him, and plunged a needle into his upper arm without hesitation.

Gray went lax, blinking once, then twice, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell back into a deep slumber.

"What," Tom panted, "was that?"

Yen swallowed, eyes wide and disbelieving. "I have no idea."

* * *

"So, what do we do now, wise leader?" Lyon asked with an air of sarcasm.

He paused when he saw Gray standing there, eyes unblinking.

"Gray," he called.

The other ice wizard suddenly jerked, blinking a few times.

"You okay?" Lyon asked slowly, eyes narrowed.

Gray turned his head to look at him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

Lyon frowned.

He spotted George across the field, helping out a young girl with the basket of vegetables she was trying to load into the back of the wagon.

"There's something odd about him. Considering he illegally owns illegal slaves, he's strangely nice."

Gray 'hmm'ed. "I know. It's not like he can't just let us go; he chooses to keep us."

Lyon shrugged. "Anyway, have you scoped out the edge of the field?"

Gray nodded. "Yes. Though I did find another obstacle we have to factor in to our escape plan."

The other ice mage raised an eyebrow, and he leaned on his shovel. "Really? And what's that?"

Gray's nose wrinkled slightly and he scowled. "Dogs."

Lyon paused for a moment, thoroughly confused. "What?"

Gray folded his arms across his chest. "George has dogs. Hunting dogs."

Lyon stared at him for a moment.

"Seriously?"

* * *

That night, back in the slaves' sleeping quarters, Lyon watched Gray eat another Attor disk.

"What do those taste like, anyway?"

Gray swallowed it whole, wincing at the sudden flare of pain as it forced its way down his esophagus.

He pondered it for a moment. "It's very sweet," he said finally. "Kind of like candy or something like that."

Lyon nodded and laid back on the thin, bumpy mat half-filled with straw they'd been given as a bed.

When he'd complained about it earlier, Gray told him to shut up.

He stared up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Gray," he called quietly. Lyon didn't have to look to know that Gray heard him.

"Yeah?"

Lyon shifted, crossing his ankles and slipping his hands under his head.

He considered asking, but then he decided that it wasn't the right time.

Not yet.

"Nothing," he said.

He heard Gray huff and turn on his mat, getting comfortable for the night.

_If I asked you to promise me something, would you? No matter what?_


	4. Chapter 4

Natsu crawled forward, eyes peering through the darkness.

Most of the tower was deserted, or at least, that's what it seemed like.

Erza had taken the lower floors while Natsu was in charge of searching the upper ones.

He could tell he was getting closer by the strengthening of Gray's scent.

Gray smelled of icy winds and snowy days, and was the closest thing Natsu would ever get to being cold.

So when the familiar tendrils of chill wafted up Natsu's nose, he knew Gray was close by.

He peered around the corner, and his heart skipped a beat.

Gray and Lyon were side by side on metal tables and covered head to toe in wires and sensors.

From what Natsu could tell, there were only two other people inside.

One was standing vigil, occasionally glancing at the other, who was attending the various screens and hastily scribbling down notes.

Natsu stood and brushed off his pants, alerting the guard to his presence.

_I can take 'em._

"Hey! Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?"

Natsu resisted the urge to growl at the accusatory tone.

"We've been through a lot the past few years," he murmured, looking past them at his friend.

The two men exchanged looks.

"First, we lost Gray. We thought he was gone for good."

Natsu took a step forward. He knew he was monologuing, but he didn't care.

"When we finally got him back, we nearly lost him again. It was hard after that, for everyone to heal," he said quietly.

Natsu turned his gaze onto the two men.

"You took him again."

The smaller, thinner, man swallowed hard, briefly glancing at his partner, who shifted in front of him in a protective stance.

"Haven't we been through enough?" Natsu growled.

The slim man slipped out from behind his friend, who hissed in concern.

"My name is Yen, and this is Tom." Yen thrust a thumb at his partner, who scowled.

Yen took a breath, lips pressing into a thin line. "Look, we don't do this for kicks, alright? We follow orders."

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "From who?"

Yen grimaced. "We don't know," he admitted. "I was taken from my hometown and brought here to do work, and so was Tom. All we know is what we're told."

The salamander folded his arms across his chest. "Why don't you leave," he bit out. The dark-haired man sighed.

"We can't. We tried. Every time we do, we get knocked out and brought back."

"By who?"

"We don't know."

Natsu exhaled, bringing his attention back to his friend. "What are you doing to them?" he asked, his voice dropping low, warning Yen to tread carefully.

Yen was very put off by this pink-haired stranger. He was like a wild animal, interesting to observe; but if you mess with it, you'll get hurt.

"I drugged them and placed them in a dream."

Natsu frowned, nose wrinkling slightly. "Huh?"

"I sedated them. The blue-haired one was the first to conjure a dream, and so I placed them both inside and I'm observing their readings."

Natsu began to get angry again, and Yen immediately saw this.

"Don't worry," he said quickly, "They aren't hurt."

"Wake them up," Natsu demanded.

Tom stepped forward, eyebrows drawing together. "We can't do that," he snapped.

Natsu whirled on him, eyes glittering. "Why not?"

"Self-preservation."

Natsu stilled, his rage calming temporarily. "What?"

Yen scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "Look, we never wanted to start doing this to people. We just want to live. If 'they', or whoever they are, find out we let them go, we're dead."

The salamander inhaled, then exhaled. "Come with us," he offered. Tom blinked.

"...What?"

"Come with us," Natsu pressed. "Our guild is full of the strongest wizards on earth, we can protect you!"

Tom looked at Yen, who smiled, albeit a bit sadly, and shrugged. "Okay."

Yen turned and approached Gray and Lyon, Natsu hot on his heels.

He disconnected the sensors and unclipped the wires, letting the screens die out on their own. "You sure about this?" Tom asked him quietly.

Yen shook his head. "Not at all."

Tom sniffed, but said nothing.

Yen turned to Natsu, who watched expectantly. "They won't wake up right away, it'll take time."

Natsu nodded mutely. He wandered to the doorway to the room and leaned out into the hall before cupping his hands around his mouth.

"ERZAAA! I FOUND THEM! COME UP HEEERE!"

Then, as if that was the normal thing to do after such a serious conversation, Natsu sat down and waited for a certain redhead to charge up the stairs.

* * *

Sure enough, an angry woman barged in not ten minutes later, her furious gaze giving way to confusion when she observed Natsu stretched out on the floor and the two strangers sitting nearby.

Then she spotted Gray and Lyon, and the newcomers were forgotten as she went to their side without hesitation.

Erza realized they were out cold, wires lying here and there on the table and blank screens that hung near their heads.

She turned to look at Natsu. "What's going on?"

Natsu left it to Yen to explain everything to her. Luckily, she didn't throttle anyone, though Yen and Tom were forced to suffer glares every few minutes.

* * *

"How many disks do you have left?" Lyon asked quietly.

Gray reached into his pocket and retrieved a single golden disk. Lyon swore under his breath.

"It's okay," Gray told him.

"How is it okay?" Lyon hissed.

Gray seemed oddly calm, as though he wasn't worried about a thing.

"I'm not sure how to explain it. Everything just seems..._wrong. _Surreal."

When he saw he was losing Lyon, he sighed. "I just- I feel like everything's going to be okay."

Everything was silent.

The sun bathed them in warm rays, and the wind tickled their skin.

The plants swayed in the breeze, but there was no sound.

"What's going on?" Gray whispered.

Though he could feel the words reverberating in his throat, his ears could not hear them.

Lyon looked to be in the same state, frowning and and trying to talk.

The field around them began to blur, like a painting that had been splashed with water and now all the colors were bleeding together.

Then, in an instant, they were swallowed up by black.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so, so sorry about not posting for some long. My computer broke and I needed a new one. (Tada!) **

**I wasn't going to write about the journey home, but I got a review from Yuki Loxar that changed my mind :)**

**And I gotta admit...the ninjas are for Amethystfairy1 :P**

* * *

"Shouldn't we be waiting until they wake up?"

Erza's eyes scanned the treeline, waiting to pick up any flicker of movement.

"We don't have the time," she replied, "If these two are right, then we could have company, and I don't want to wait for them to come to us."

Natsu shifted the body that lay across his shoulders.

"He's heavier that he used to be," he muttered lowly. Unbeknownst to them, a finger twitched.

Tom's gaze flickered momentarily to the blue-haired wizard on the salamander's back.

_If we get out of this alive, I'll be surprised._

"Hold up," Erza ordered, standing still.

The party halted, and they listened intently for any sign of life.

A soft crunch in the distance, and Erza drew her sword from it's sheath.

"Pick up the pace," she said in a hushed tone. They began to through the trees at the beginning of the forest.

When they tread through the underbrush, they could hear the following snaps of twigs and branches as their enemy pursued them.

They could find safety in feigning ignorance, but it was only a matter of time before they would be attacked.

"Natsu, _move!_" Erza yelled. Natsu held on to Gray tightly and made a sharp veer to the left.

He made to put Gray down so he could help her, but she waved him on.

"Keep going! We need to lose them!"

Natsu couldn't even see who was attacking them. But he could hear.

The clang of metal against metal, the whoosh of air.

He could hear Erza's distressed grunts, and he couldn't hear Tom or Yen anymore.

There was a gust of air, and then someone slammed into him, knocking him down.

Natsu rolled Gray off of him in time to be tackled by a figure in black.

He kicked the guy in the gut and scooted back in time to see another grab Gray and begin to drag him into the trees.

Natsu growled and chased after him, only to be knocked down again.

His let out a choked cry when the first one wrenched his arm back and _pulled._

Natsu jammed his elbow back into guy's face before stumbling to his feet and taking off into the brambles.

He knew he had to get to Gray before they vanished, and Natsu just hoped Erza would be okay.

In the distance he caught a glimpse of pale skin, and he pushed himself to run faster.

He got closer and closer until he just went for it and dived, curling his arms around the man's legs and forcing him to the ground, crushing his already injured arm.

Natsu roughly pulled Gray from the man's arms and practically tossed him to the side just as the man aimed a punch at Natsu's face.

He took it with a pained grunt, and reciprocated it, but much harder.

Natsu wasn't sure if he was out cold or dead, but it didn't matter.

Looking around, he realized he didn't know where he was.

In every direction he looked , it was merely endless moss-covered trees and thick green bushes.

"Oh crap," he muttered under his breath. Natsu closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them, Gray was still unconscious, slumped bonelessly on the forest floor.

"Sorry about that," he sighed, bending down to pick Gray up.

His arm screamed in protest but the pink-haired salamander simply rolled his shoulders, which didn't help, and chose a direction to walk in.

* * *

Erza leaned against the trees, panting heavily.

When she raised her head, she realized Natsu and Gray were nowhere in sight, and neither were Yen and Tom with Lyon.

"Damn it."

* * *

Tom laid the white-haired man down on the soil.

"Yen?" he called cautiously, keeping his tone moderately low.

He took a few steps forward, staying low to the ground.

"...Tom?"

Tom turned to see Yen crouched down and covered with dirt nearly thirty feet away.

He beckoned Yen over and his friend obliged, scrambling towards the two.

"Are you okay?" Yen asked breathlessly. Tom nodded, looking Yen up and down. "You?"

Yen smiled. "I'm good. Where are the others?"

Tom threw his hands up in the air. "I have no idea."

Yen eyed Lyon. "What do we do?" he asked, turning back to Tom.

"You're asking me? You're the smart one."

Yen pinched the bridge of his nose as his eyes fell shut.

"We have one of their friends, and now we're alone with him in the middle of the forest being chased down by ninjas or something."

Tom nodded in agreement. "Okay," he said, waiting for Yen to continue.

"Our tower back there faced the east, and that's the direction they were taking us, so I figure if we just head east we'll hit a town eventually.

Tom took a breath. "Alright," he conceded, "But which way is east?"

Yen snapped his fingers and stood up, walking to the nearest tree, where he searched for moss.

"When I was small, I was always told moss grew on the north face of trees," Yen said.

He inspected the soft green plant before looking to right of tree and pointing. "If I'm right, that's east."

Tom made a face. "And if you're not?" Yen winced.

* * *

Erza, on the other hand, followed the stars that glittered in the night sky.

It was risky. She knew that. At any moment an attack was possible, but if she stayed quiet, there was a chance that she could bypass them.

Wherever they were.

* * *

She was also the first to arrive at Magnolia Town, emerging from the trees with a few cuts and scrapes here and there from a few visitors that had dropped by during the night.

When she saw the familiar path, she couldn't help but smile.

She inspected the path, frowning when she saw there hadn't been any footprints over the last few days, which meant no one else had found their way out of the forest.

Erza had half a mind to go back in and look for them, but she knew it would be foolish, especially if she ended up getting lost.

Instead, she sat herself down on the path, facing the trees with the blade of her sword balanced on her knees.

_If they don't come out, I'll kill them._

* * *

Natsu was completely and utterly lost.

Stumbling around and tripping over roots seemed to be the only thing he could accomplish.

Carrying Gray wasn't helping anything, but he at least gave him some motivation.

The salamander groaned.

"If I don't walk outta here in ten minutes, I'm taking a nap," he grumbled to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**I gotta say that I really love the reviews. Not only do they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, they give me initiative to keep writing. Thank you.**

* * *

Yen squinted. "Is that...is that _Natsu_?"

Tom sauntered over to where Yen was standing and narrowed his eyes in the direction he was pointing.

If the pink hair wasn't enough, the blue-haired figure next to him proved it.

Yen smiled and began to climb down the slope. "Natsu!" he called, "Hey! Natsu!"

Natsu blinked sleepily, stifling a yawn as he twisted around to see who was calling him.

"Yen?" he asked in disbelief. He smiled and rose to his feet, flicking a leaf off of his scarf.

"Where's Erza?" Yen asked him when he reached the ground. Natsu leaned over to look behind Yen at Tom, who still had Lyon draped across his shoulders.

When he didn't see her he frowned. "I thought she might've stuck with you."

Yen's expression turned worried. "You think she's alright?"

Natsu nodded, strangely confident. "It's Erza!" he said loudly, "She's fine."

Yen cocked his head, an eyebrow raising slightly, but said nothing.

Natsu turned and walked a few feet to retrieve Gray from the forest floor, slinging him up over his shoulders.

"Hey, do you where we're going?" he asked, a bit sheepishly.

Yen nodded. "Yeah. If we keep walking that way," he told him, pointing off into the distance to Natsu's right, "We should hit the town eventually."

Natsu yawned. "Okay," he said brightly, "Let's go!"

* * *

"Yes! Sweet freedom!"

Erza turned her head to see a familiar pink-haired fool practically running out of the forest, panting, but grinning widely.

She quickly got up, and after a quick scan of the forest, sheathed her sword.

"Natsu! Are you alright?"

Natsu's face got even brighter, if that was possible, when he saw her. "Erza! You made it!"

A few moments later, and Yen came trudging out of the brush, followed by Tom, looking a little worse for wear.

"Were you attacked?" she asked, a little concerned.

Yen shook his head as he winced. "No, just encountered a few thorns."

Erza nodded in understanding. "Alright," she said, her voice commanding attention. Natsu stopped his worship of the road and stood up, adjusting his passenger.

"They've still haven't woken?"

Natsu, Yen, and Tom all shook their heads.

She exhaled in a soft puff. "Let's get moving. I want to get back to Fairy Tail as soon as possible."

* * *

Lyon and Gray jerked awake with loud gasps, chests heaving and sweat beading on their brows.

"Wha...What happened?" Gray panted.

He saw Natsu, whose beaming rivaled the sun's.

Erza sighed in relief. "You're awake."

Lyon frowned, looking over at Gray before turning his head back to Erza. "Awake?"

Gray was observing everything with eyes like slits, from the blankets pooled on his lap, to the people sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"We're not in the field anymore."

"I hadn't noticed," Lyon said dryly. Gray huffed in irritation.

"You two were in a dream," Erza explained. "Whatever you saw...none of it was real."

Gray suddenly jerked. "I woke up," he murmured to himself, frowning as he tried to remember the fuzzy images.

"Huh?"

"I woke up," he repeated, louder this time.

Natsu and Erza exchanged worried glances. "Yes, you did," Erza agreed.

Gray shook his head sharply, brow creasing in frustration. "No!" he snapped. "When we were...asleep. Earlier."

"He's right," Yen confirmed.

Heads turned in his direction and the tips of Yen's ears turned a light pink.

"We weren't doing anything, and he just...woke up." He turned his gaze to Gray. "You freaked out when you didn't recognize us, so I was forced to give you another sedative."

Yen thought about it for a few moments. "It was strange, because both of you were already pumped full of so much that it should've been impossible for you to wake up."

Gray and Lyon stared at Yen and Tom. They looked at Erza and Natsu. "So...what are they doing here?" Lyon asked, tone deceptively light.

"Natsu discovered they were being held there against their will and offered to take them with us," Erza grumbled, looking none to happy about it herself.

Gray, on the other hand, was distracted by the small scratches all over his upper body. "What happened to me?" he asked, puzzled.

Natsu smiled sheepishly, while Yen winced slightly. Tom merely seemed mildly amused.

"He dropped you in a thorn bush," Yen revealed. Gray turned an accusing glance to Natsu, who turned defensive.

"I had to carry you for miles through a ninja-infested forest!" he argued.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "Ninjas?"

Lyon was skeptical as well, deadpanning and staring at Natsu as if he was a moron. "Really? That's the best you could come up with?"

"Actually," Erza sighed, "He's not kidding."

Gray stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously?"

Lyon waved the topic away. "Do any of you know who it was who took us? Or what they wanted?"

He looked at Yen and Tom out of the corner of his eye.

Erza shook her head. "No," she replied wearily. "They don't know, and neither do we. It remains a mystery."

Gray leaned forwards, resting his arms on his knees. "Do you think they'll come after us here?" he voiced quietly.

Natsu got to his feet, and it was then Gray spotted the snow white sling and the bandage wrapped around Natsu's arm and upper shoulder.

"If they try, I'll beat the crap out of 'em," he growled, his usual bloodlust flaring.

Erza raised a hand, signaling for him to calm down. "I don't think so, not while you're here. But you won't be going on any jobs for quite a while."

She looked at both Gray and Lyon, her eyes daring them to argue.

"You should stay here, Lyon, at least for a little while," she added. Lyon nodded minutely.

Gray listened for a moment, and was confused by the lack of noise. "Where is everyone?"

Erza smiled. "In the main hall, anxiously waiting for you two. When you're ready to face the mob, feel free to go out there."

Lyon and Gray suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Hold on, I got a question," Natsu said to Yen.

"Hmm?"

"How is Gray alive? He needs to take an Attor disk everyday."

"I fed him one, everyday."

Silence.

"Huh?"

"When they arrived, I was told about his condition, and given the several disks he carried on him."

Gray looked perturbed while Lyon looked disturbed.

"Told? By who?" Lyon demanded.

Yen exhaled. "I wasn't told, not exactly. It was written on a note that was with you, and the disks were in a small black bag, along with a short description of who you were."

Gray frowned, tendrils of emotion reaching into his chest.

"Who are these people and how do they know about me?"


	7. Chapter 7

If you liked it...

This a complete list of the entire Attor series:

1\. Attor

2\. Escence of Attor (Ya..it's spelled wrong *sigh* I know.)

3\. Attor's Golden Tears

4\. Attor's Reflection

5\. Blood of Gold

(NOTE: THIS MAY BE TAKEN DOWN FOR EDITING)


End file.
